”You can tell it’s Mattel, it’s swell.”
Mattel Headquarters, El Segundo, CA, USA
Mattel Inc. (NYSE: MAT) is the world’s largest toy importing company based on revenue. It was founded in 1945 by Harold “Matt” Matson and Elliot Handler (hence the name “matt-el”).
The products it produces include Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles.
Handler’s wife, Ruth Handler, later became president, and is credited with establishing the Barbie product line for the company in 1959. Today the Barbie line is responsible for more than 80% of Mattel’s profits.
Mattel closed its last American factory, originally part of the Fisher-Price division, in 2002.As of 2007, Mattel’s toys were primarily manufactured by subcontractors in China. *
